which fixed lens compact for you...and why?

[FredtheLlama]

I'm a big fan of my Contax TVS. Ignore the comments on lens quality from those who haven't used one! Think of it as a 28mm T2.

Accepts filters, hoods and retains its flash settings. Plus a coupled zoom VF, AE mode, and the titanium body feels ace.

Overlooked by many so don't command a high price either. Try one, you'll like it.

 

[noisycheese]

My choice is the Rollei 35 SE.

Why?
Outstanding lens
Extremely small size
Built like a tank
Truly pocket sized
Uses full format 24x36mm film (no teeny weeny digital sensor)
Excellent image quality

What's not to like??

 

[Godfrey]

Leica X
Rollei 35S
Minox 35GT-E
Voigtländer Perkeo II

Excellent lenses, good controls, etc.

G

 

[richard_l]

Film: Rollei 35
Digital: Leica X2

Excellent lens, convenient focal length, easy to operate.

 

[Schlapp]

Film; Pentax Espio Mini.
Why; because I have one and it works for me

Digital; what's that?

 

[OurManInTangier]

I'd have to say the Hexar AF for film....purely as a stick it in my (coat) pocket and fire and forget...brilliant.

For digital, X100T. I can put that in my pocket too and it has great MF/AF, a super lens and controls just as I want them, beats the Hexar there in all honesty.

 

[stephen.w]

The only things that bothered me about the GR were the lack of a built-in viewfinder and the fact that you had to wait for the lens to motor out before shooting. This took time, and announces to anyone nearby on the street that you're about to take their picture.

This is what bothers me about the GR too (as it did about my old Leica X1). I had been thinking about the GR as a 28mm compact option, and was waiting for the announcement of the newer model in order to jump, but now I think I'd be better off with the wide-angle converter lens for my X100S.

In good light and with the optimal settings selected, the X100S really is a very fast camera.

 

[kehng]

Zeiss-Ikon S312. Just picked one up last week and it is luverly

 

[Coopersounds]

I have a few i love.
XA, it's tiny and discreet.
Stylus mju - one with B&W one with colour film.
Big Mini - just fun and always in my motorbike luggage bag

 

[marko.oja]

Minolta AF-C for film (starting to replace Mju II's 'cause I don't have to fiddle with the flash button), Ricoh GRDIII for digital (best bang-for-buck camera I have, paid 70€ for it).

 

[Pherdinand]

to use, konica hexar af / fuji x100
to look at, probably the yashica electro35 CC 🙂)

 

[jamin-b]

Olympus SP35

Olympus SP35

Feels right, just enough control, spot meter - + I am always surprised how many keepers I get per roll...

 

[k__43]

what I have:
Contax T2 .. great metering and flash control
Hexar AF .. silent operation, f/2
X100 .. silent, great files

what i'd want: a camera with FF sensor and 35/2 lens and the controls of the X100 with the T2/Hexar AF IR-focus (honestly I don't get why they don't do that to aid the contrast AF at least, I've yet to see a compact digital that works that good)

 

[WJJ3]

Olympus ∞ Stylus Epic (µ[mju:]-II) has been my go-to forever and I can't say enough good things about those cameras. But after having gone through three of them I decided to try something that will hopefully be a little more durable; a Pen S with the 3cm f2.8 lens 🙂

 

[zuiko85]

Nothing digital but for film,
Olympus Pen (full manual control standard first model) for half frame.
Olympus 35RC for full frame.

Why? Both very compact with good lenses.
With the Pen you can shoot a whole year with a 36 exp roll (just kidding)

 

[Archiver]

For digital: Ricoh GR and Panasonic LX7. I love wide angle shooting and discreet cameras.

For film: Contax T3 all the way, baby. I love my Fuji Natura Black, but it is more of a point and shoot with very little in the way of manual control. Still, the Fuji images are different from those produced by any other camera I have.

Do I want a Leica Q? My enthusiasm has waned a bit (my wallet thanks me) but since it is essentially a combination of the Leica M and Ricoh GR, on paper it's my ideal camera.

 

[Moto Mark]

For a film camera I have the Olympus XA and the Rollei 35 SE. Both are wonderful little jewels that take great images as long as you get the focus right ( especially the Rollei, that was tough in the beginning ).

 

[robert blu]

Film: Rollei 35T, small and simple
Digital: leica X1, small, simple, the only one I have, still works after 5 years...

 

[p.giannakis]

I liked my Fuji DL Supermini although it took me some time to get used to the 28mm lens (too wide for me...)

 

[rhl-oregon]

Echoing Dave (dcsang) above: Klasse S & GR. Where compact = pocketable, palmable, and reliable exposure sans hassle. GR pretty much goes everywhere with me.